fo much, notwithstanding that the addition of peculiar circumftances makes the action vary from the general rule. Now the certain command of GOD may furely be fuch a circumstance.

Lastly, The perfection of virtue being of an evergrowing infinite nature, it is reasonable to expect, that mankind in its infant state, foon after the flood, and fo onwards for fome time, fhould be more imperfect, and have lefs of the pure and fublime precepts concerning indifference to this world, and all present things, univerfal unlimited charity, mortification, abstinence, chastity, &c. delivered to them, than we Christians have, and lefs expected from them. And yet, upon the whole, the patriarchs and eminent perfons among the Jews were burning and fhining lights in their respective generations. However, it is alfo to be observed here, that the most fublime precepts of the gospel do appear from the first in the Old Teftament, though under a veil; and that they were gradually opened more and more under the later prophets.

PROP. XXXV.

The Excellence of the Doctrine contained in the Scriptures is an Evidence of their Divine Authority.

THIS is an argument which has great force, independently of other confiderations. Thus let us fuppofe, that the author of the gospel which goes under St. Matthew's name, was not known, and that it was unfupported by the writers of the primitive times; yet fuch is the unaffected fimplicity of the narrations, the purity of the doctrines, and the fincere piety and goodness of the fentiments, that it carries its own authority with it. And the fame thing may

be faid in general of all the books of the Old and New Teftaments; fo that it seems evident to me, that, if there was no other book in the world befides the Bible, a man could not reasonably doubt of the truth of revealed religion. The mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart. Men's writings and dif courses must receive a tincture from their real thoughts, defires, and defigns. It is impoffible to play the hypocrite in every word and expreffion. This is a matter of common daily obfervation, that cannot be called in question; and the more any one thinks upon it, or attends to what paffes in himself or others, to the hiftory of the human thoughts, words, and actions, and their neceffary mutual connections, i. e. to the hiftory of affociation, the more clearly will he fee it. We may conclude therefore, even if all other arguments were fet afide, that the authors of the books of the Old and New Testaments, whoever they were, cannot have made a false claim to divine authority.

But there is also another method of inferring the divine authority of the fcriptures from the excellence of the doctrine contained therein. For the fcriptures contain doctrines concerning GOD, providence, a future ftate, the duty of man, &c. far more pure and fublime than can any ways be accounted for from the natural powers of men, fo circumstanced as the facred writers were. That the reader may fee this in a clearer light, let him compare the feveral books of the Old and New Teftaments with the cotemporary writers amongst the Greeks and Romans, who could not have lefs than the natural powers of the human mind; but might have, over and above, fome traditional hints derived ultimately from revelation. Let him confider whether it be poffible to fuppofe, that Jewish fhepherds, fishermen, &c. fhould, both before and after the rife of the heathen philo

fophy, fo far exceed the men of the greatest abilities and accomplishments in other nations, by any other means than divine communications. Nay, we may fay, that no writers, from the invention of letters to the present times, are equal to the penmen of the books of the Old and New Teftaments, in true excellence, utility, and dignity; which is furely fuch an internal criterion of their divine authority as ought not to be refifted. And perhaps it never is refifted by any, who have duly confidered these books, and formed their affections and actions according to the precepts therein delivered.

An objection is fometimes made against the excellence of the doctrines of the fcriptures, by charging upon them erroneous doctrines, established by the authority of creeds, councils, and particular churches. But this is a manner of proceeding highly unreafonable. The unbeliever, who pays fo little regard to the opinions of others, as to reject what all churches receive, the divine miffion of CHRIST, and the evidences for the truth of the fcriptures, ought not at other times to fuppofe the churches, much lefs any particular one, better able to judge of the doctrine; but fhould in the latter cafe, as well as the first, examine for himself; or if he will take the doctrine upon truft, he ought much rather to take the evidence fo.

If it can be fhewn, either that the true doctrine of the fcriptures differs from that which is commonly received, or that reafon teaches fomething different from what is commonly fuppofed, or laftly that we are infufficient judges what are the real doctrines of fcripture, or reafon, or both, and confequently that we ought to wait with patience for farther light, all objections of this kind fall to the ground. One may alfo add, that the fame arguments which prove a doctrine to be very abfurd, prove alfo, for the

most part, that it is not the fenfe of the passage; and that this is a method of reasoning always allowed in interpreting profane authors.

The

PROP. XXXVI.

many and great Advantages which have accrued to the World from the Patriarchal, Judaical, and Christian Revelations, prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures.

THESE advantages are of two forts, relating refpectively to the knowledge and practice of religion. I begin with the first.

Now it is very evident, that the Christian revelation has diffused a much more pure and perfect knowledge of what is called natural religion, over a great part of the world, viz. wherever the profeffion either of Christianity or Mahometifm prevails. And the fame thing will appear, in refpect of the Judaical and patriarchal revelations, to those who are acquainted with antient hiftory. It will be found very difficult, by fuch perfons, to account even for the pagan reli gions, without recurring to fuch patriarchal communi. cations with GOD as are mentioned in the Pentateuch, and to the more full revelations made to the Jews. So that one is led to believe, that all that is good in any pagan or falfe religion is of divine original; all that is erroneous and corrupt, the offspring of the vanity, weakness, and wickedness of men; and that, properly fpeaking, we have no reason from history to suppose, that there ever was any fuch thing as mere natural religion, i. e. any true religion, which men discovered to themselves by the mere light of nature. These pofitions feem to follow from in

quiries into the antiquities of the heathen world, and of their religions. The heathen religions all appear to be of a derivative nature; each circumftance in the inquiry confirms the scriptural accounts of things, and fends us to the revelations exprefsly mentioned, or indirectly implied, in the Old Teftament, for the real original of the pagan religions in their fimple state. This opinion receives great light and confirmation from Sir Ifaac Newton's Chronology,

It appears alfo very probable to me, that a careful examination of the powers of the human understanding would confirm the fame pofition; and that admitting the novelty of the present world, there is no way of accounting for the rife and progrefs of religious knowledge, as it has taken place in fact, without having recourse to divine revelation. If we admit the Patriarchal, Judaical, and Christian revelations the progress of natural religion, and of all the false pretences to revelation, will fairly arife (at least, appear poffible in all cafes, and probable in most) from the circumftance of things, and the powers of human nature; and the foregoing doctrine of affociation will caft fome light upon the fubject. If we deny the truth of these revelations, and suppose the scriptures to be false, we fhall caft utter confufion upon the inquiry, and human faculties will be found far unequal to the task affigned to them.

Secondly, If we confider the practice of true religion, the good effects of revelation are ftill more evident. Every man who believes, muft find himself either excited to good, or deterred from evil, in many inftances, by that belief; notwithstanding that there may be many other inftances, in which religious motives are too weak to restrain violent and corrupt inclinations. The fame obfervations occur daily with regard to others, in various ways and degrees.